Small Prophets gets BBC One upgrade after breakout comedy success
Mackenzie Crook’s wonderfully odd comedy Small Prophets has been renewed for a second series after becoming the BBC’s biggest new comedy hit of 2026 so far. The six-part return is planned for 2027, with the show moving from BBC Two to BBC One and its magical Manchester world set to grow.
Key takeaways
Small Prophets will return for a six-part second series in 2027.
Mackenzie Crook will write and direct the new episodes.
Pearce Quigley, Sir Michael Palin, Lauren Patel and Crook are returning.
The comedy will move from BBC Two to BBC One.
Series one averaged 6.3 million viewers over 28 days, with 5.2 million watching on BBC iPlayer.
The renewal is a major vote of confidence in a series that has combined gentle British comedy with supernatural folklore, eccentric characters and an unmistakable sense of place.
A breakout hit for the BBC
Small Prophets averaged 6.3 million viewers across its first 28 days, while 82% of that audience watched through BBC iPlayer. Its opening episode has continued to attract viewers and has now reached 9.2 million, making the programme the BBC’s strongest new comedy series of the year to date.
That streaming performance is particularly significant as audiences increasingly discover comedy online. For viewers who enjoy finding sharp, original talent before it becomes unavoidable, the show’s rise will feel familiar to the experience of catching a brilliant comedian early at Comedy in Your Eye in Camden: intimate, unexpected and packed with promise.
What series two will explore
The first series introduced Michael Sleep, played by Pearce Quigley, a solitary DIY shop worker whose partner Clea disappeared seven years earlier. His routine changes when his father Brian, played by Michael Palin, gives him an old recipe for creating homunculi — tiny spirits with the ability to predict the future.
With help from his colleague Kacey, played by Lauren Patel, Michael begins conjuring the magical beings in his garden shed. Meanwhile, his difficult manager Gordon, played by Crook, and nosy neighbours Bev and Clive remain dangerously interested in what is happening at Michael’s home.
Crook has described the new run as the “second half” of Michael’s strange story, suggesting that the unanswered questions surrounding his mystical quest will remain central. Further plot details have not yet been announced.
Returning cast and creative team
Crook will again write and direct the series, with Gill Isles returning as producer. Treasure Trove Productions and Channel X North will make the six new episodes, while the key cast is expected to return.
The move to BBC One gives Small Prophets a larger platform, but its appeal remains rooted in the same qualities that made the first series stand out: warm characters, unusual ideas and a distinctly local setting. The new episodes will again be filmed in and around Manchester, returning to the fictional Marvin Gardens.
Why comedy fans should keep it on their radar
Small Prophets offers the kind of imaginative, character-led comedy that rewards curiosity rather than relying on a familiar formula. Its success is good news for audiences who want something different from mainstream sitcoms — and for live comedy fans who enjoy discovering professional performers before the wider audience catches up.
Comedy in Your Eye shares that spirit every Tuesday and Thursday at The Camden Eye, bringing high-calibre comedians, including performers associated with major networks such as the BBC and Netflix, into a relaxed and positive pub setting. While the Small Prophets lineup is no secret, the club’s top-secret lineups offer London audiences their own chance to discover what comes next.
A BBC One release date for Small Prophets series two has not yet been confirmed, but the prophets have spoken: the show will return in 2027.
Sources
Small Prophets to return for a second series, BBC.
BBC Comedy 'Small Prophets' Renewed For Season 2, Deadline.
Small Prophets Series 2 confirmed, British Comedy Guide.
Mackenzie Crook’s acclaimed comedy Small Prophets returns to BBC for series two, The Independent.
Small Prophets Returning for Series 2 as Hit Comedy Moves to BBC One, CultureCues.